It’s surreal that the scoreboard read “20-19” as the Cowboys went through their
Thursday practice on Sep.15.
It wasn’t a mystery. The Cowboys lost by that score to the New York Giants
during Week 1, as they ran out of time during a last-gasp drive to win the game.
From then until now, Cowboys coach Jason Garret and offensive coordinator Scott
Linehan acknowledged at the time they need to focus on situational football.
It’s fair to say the Cowboys have excelled in that area since Week 1. They
scored late to go ahead of Washington and earn their first win in Week 2. They
covered 97 yards in 33 seconds just before halftime in Green Bay. They were
flawless in the game-winning overtime drive against Philadelphia, and they
executed not one but two late-game scoring drives to defeat Pittsburgh.
Every step of the way, Cowboys players have said their confidence goes back to
preparation. That’s largely been proven true. Given the focus on situational
football, there hasn’t been much this team wasn’t prepared for. It has clearly
paid dividends.